Many devices represent colors of image elements to users for a variety of purposes. These purposes may typically include representing colors of image elements by a device on a display and/or in print. When a given device represents colors to a user, the device typically employs a color space to define each displayed and/or printed color numerically. The color space of a given device defines the total range of colors reproducible by that device. Typically, the color space of a given device does not encompass all possible colors and is therefore only a subset of all possible colors. As the color space of a given device is typically only a subset of all possible colors, different types of devices, different device models, and/or different manufactures may use varying color spaces.
It may be challenging to accurately represent each displayed and/or printed color numerically as color data in the device color space, so that the colors appear accurate to the eye of a user. For example, the transfer of color data from one device color space to another device color space may result in inaccurate color representation if the color spaces of the devices are not the same.
Color management often may be used to facilitate the transfer of color data from one device color space to another different device color space. Color management may typically be performed via a color management system (CMS), which may be used to reduce or eliminate color space matching problems and makes color portable. A CMS may reconcile the different color capabilities of scanners, monitors, and/or printers to ensure consistent color throughout the transfer of color data between various devices. For example, the colors displayed on a monitor may be accurately transferred to a printer. Similarly, color management may permit different applications, devices, and/or operating systems to display colors consistently.
Referring to FIG. 1, destination device 100 may employ a color management system typically having three major components: a device-independent color space 102 that acts as a common reference for translating between different color spaces, device profiles 104 that define the color characteristics of one or more particular devices, and a Color Management Module (CMM) 106 that interprets the device profiles and carries out the translation of color data from one device color space to another different device color space.
Color management operations may translate color data from one device color space to another different device color space by the CMM 106 using various device profiles 104 and device independent color space 106. Each device profile 104 may define the color characteristics of the given device to allow for a translation between a first device color space into the device independent color space 102 via a first device profile, and from the device independent color space 102 into a second device color space via a second device profile. Accordingly, the device independent color space 102 may provide a device independent reference for transferring color data from one device profile to another different device profile.
While it may be useful to utilize color management operations, it is often not readily apparent if the color data of a particular image element is being processed by color management operations. For example, the color space of a typical operating system display may be very close, but not an exact match, with the color space of a typical Red-Green-Blue (RGB) document color space or of a typical RGB image color space. Where two or more color spaces match very closely, but not exactly, a user may or may not be able to discern if an image element is being properly color managed.
Additionally, multiple image elements may be included in a compound document, such as a source document 110. Often these multiple image elements may come from various sources and may or may not be color managed. For color managed image elements 112, the image elements may include an associated device profile 114 in addition to its color data 116. For example, the associated device profile 114 may be embedded into the color managed image element 112 itself. Embedded device profiles 114 allow users to transparently move color managed image elements 112 between different computers, networks and even operating systems without having to maintain or install the necessary device profiles 104 on the destination device. Additionally or alternatively, the color managed image element 112 may be associated with one of the device profiles 104 located on the destination device 100 through the CMM 106. Conversely, a non-color managed image element 120 may not have any associated device profile in addition to its color data 122. Accordingly, non-color managed image elements 120 transferred to a destination device 100 may not be presented with colors consistent with the intended color rendering. For example, the CMM 106 may take color managed image elements 112 in a source document 110 and translate their color data 116 from the source device color space to the destination device 100 color space via the device profile 104 and device profile 114. Color managed image elements 112 from source document 110 may be outputted as color managed image elements 132 in the output document 130 to be presented with colors consistent with the intended color rendering. However, non-color managed image elements 120 in a source document 110 may not be translated by the CMM 106. Accordingly, the color of the outputted non-color managed image elements 134 in the output document 130 may not be presented with colors consistent with the intended color rendering.
In some cases, a device profile may be altered to facilitate identification of color managed image elements. For example, a typical RGB device profile may be modified to permute a device profile to a Green-Blue-Red (GBR) device profile. See Is Your System ICC Version 4 Ready?, retrieved Apr. 10, 2007, from the International Color Consortium website: http://www.color.org/version4html.html. In a modified GBR device profile, the color of the displayed and/or printed image elements may appear distorted if the image elements are color managed by the modified GBR device profile. Additionally, in the modified GBR device profile the color of the displayed and/or printed image elements may not appear distorted if the image elements are not color managed by the modified GBR device profile. As a result, color managed image elements may appear distorted while the non-color managed image elements may not appear distorted
Reference is made in the following detailed description to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, wherein like numerals may designate like parts throughout to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and/or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of claimed subject matter. It should also be noted that directions and references, for example, up, down, top, bottom, and so on, may be used to facilitate the discussion of the drawings and are not intended to restrict the application of claimed subject matter. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of claimed subject matter defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.